At the moment, because it kicked off its three-day Elevate conference in Dallas, Texas, the trip-hail firm introduced a slew of partnerships with cities, aviation producers, actual property, and electrical charging firms, in its effort to carry its dream of flying automobiles a bit of nearer to actuality.

Uber mentioned it will likely be teaming up with the governments of Dallas-Fort Value and Dubai to carry its flying taxis to these cities first. It is additionally becoming a member of forces with actual property agency Hilwood Properties in Dallas-Fort Value to establish websites the place it is going to construct takeoff and touchdown pads, which Uber calls “vertiports.” It has signed contracts (or is within the midst of contract negotiations) with 5 plane producers to work on the design and manufacturing of light-weight, electrically powered vertical takeoff and touchdown (VTOL) plane. And it launched a partnership with an electrical charging firm referred to as ChargePoint, to develop charging stations for Uber’s flying taxis.

It’s a flurry of exercise that’s meant to sign that Uber is serious about including flying taxis to its listing of outlandish, quasi-impractical, at all times formidable initiatives for the longer term. (See additionally its self-driving car experiments.) The firm mentioned it is aiming to publicly exhibit its first flying taxi service in 2020, which is so much prior to you assume, contemplating lots of the expertise hasn’t been validated. And Uber is an organization identified for slicing corners and flaunting laws in its mad sprint dash to disrupt transportation and seize market share. All of which raises the query: who’s going to wish to fly with Uber?

If at this time’s announcement is any indication, the reply is loads of folks. Bell Helicopters, one of many largest producers of economic and navy vertical takeoff automobiles within the US (they produce each the V-22 Osprey and the forthcoming V-280 Valor), says it will likely be working with Uber on its flying taxi thought. “We’re very excited to be collaborating with them,” Mitch Snyder, CEO of Bell Helicopter, informed The Verge on Monday.

Standing subsequent to his futuristic concept helicopter, the FCX-001, within the foyer of his Fort Value-based mostly firm, Snyder mentioned Uber’s repute shouldn’t be a priority in relation to this mission. “I can’t touch upon their headlines,” Snyder mentioned. “What I can touch upon is Bell and our integrity. We’re going to offer secure automobiles going ahead. We’re going to work with Uber. We’re going to collaborate with them. It’s an thrilling alternative.”

Along with Bell, Uber says it plans to work with a handful of small plane producers like Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, and Mooney. Executives from these firms will probably be talking extra about their collaboration with Uber in the course of the Elevate summit in Dallas.

In line with Jeff Holden, Uber’s chief product officer, flying taxis characterize “the top of city mobility — the discount of congestion and air pollution from transportation, giving folks their time again, releasing up actual property devoted to parking and offering entry to mobility in all corners of a metropolis.”

Uber has been below a cloud currently on account of an inside investigation right into a tradition of harassment and sexism, in addition to a significant lawsuit filed by a subsidiary of Google alleging the theft of the search large’s automated car expertise. The nearly day by day onslaught of bad news, in addition to revelations about the trip-hail firm’s multi-billion losses in 2016, have raised questions about Uber’s ability to survive lengthy sufficient to comprehend its futuristic desires. The information at this time about Uber’s aggressive schedule on flying taxis may very well be interpreted as a literal try and rise above and fly away from its newest bout of troubles.